The small rink is a great little hidden gem located in one of the old Don Valley Brick Works buildings. The space separates itself from other rinks in Toronto in a number of different ways.

For one, it isn’t exactly inside. But it isn’t quite outside either. The roof is gone, leaving just the rafters, which allows the sun to shine through during the day. There are a number of plain Christmas lights hanging from the rafters to light the rink up at night.

By the map: Unique skating rinks in Toronto worth visiting

Aside from the rink’s unique location, the ice is broken up by small gardens. Little green hills sprout out of the ice, forming it into an oval track. Trees and shrubs grow on the mounds, giving the rink its own look and feel.

In fact, the whole place has a feel of distinct personality. The worn brick walls are dotted with graffiti and murals. There is a small fire pit surrounded by chairs. The benches are just large slabs of lumber.

But some of that distinct personality comes from the site’s heritage.

History of the Brick Works

1882: Young William Taylor found clay perfect for making bricks.

1889: William and his two brothers opened the Don Valley Brick Works.

1904: The Great Fire destroyed much of the downtown core of the city, resulting in new bylaws requiring masonry construction.

1984: The factory closed.

1986: The land was expropriated by the City of Toronto and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), with support from various levels of government.

1990: The abandoned factory became a playground for urban explorers, partiers and photographers.

1991: Evergreen began to lead tree-planting activities in the Lower Don Watershed.

1992: The first phase of park development was undertaken with the support of the city, TRCA, and a private donation by the Weston Foundation.

1998: Evergreen was among a handful of groups helping to plant the wildflower meadows in what is now Weston Family Quarry Garden.

2006: The first Evergreen Brick Works farmers market and summer programming opened for the public.

The Evergreen Brick Works started off as the Don Valley Pressed Brick Works in 1889. After the Great Fire in 1904, the business provided much of the brick required to rebuild the city, including landmarks such as Massey Hall and Casa Loma.

The factory closed down almost 100 years after it opened. Shortly after, the land was expropriated by the City of Toronto and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA). In the 90s, Evergreen started tree-planting initiatives in the Lower Don Watershed, and the TRCA began the first phase of park development.

In the 2000s, Evergreen began exploring new environmental ideas, whilst opening sections of the Brick Works for markets, local food offerings, eco-art displays, and summer programs, such as gardening. In 2010, the Evergreen Brick Works opened year-round, with a focus on demonstrating greener models for urban living.

The skating rink is a prime example of Evergreen’s goal. Through the recycling of space, and the use of the Eco Chill system, which recycles the extracted heat, the rink demonstrates an eco-friendly model.

Standard rink refrigeration systems extract heat from the ice and expels it into the atmosphere, the Eco Chill system In the case of Evergreen, they use the recycled heat to warm their Marketplace building, which reduces energy consumption and green house gas emissions.

But all this goes on behind the scenes. Most of the skaters are content to skate around the rink, enjoying a favourite winter pastime. As her boys zipped round the rink, Suan smiled. “It may be our first time here, but it isn’t our last.”